HOMES NEEDED.

Waipa Post, Volume XVII, Issue 962, 1 July 1920, Page 5

HOMES NEEDED.

state HOUSES FOR TE

AWAMUTU.

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ACTION.

A meeting convened by the Te Awamutu Chamber of Commerce was held in the Town Hall on Tuesday evening to consider proposals connected with the erection of dwellings in Te Awamutu under the national housing scheme.

Mr C. G. Downes, president of the Chamber, presided, and there was a good attendance. Before the meeting proceeded the chairman briefly explained the negotiations which had led to the meeting being convened. Some years ago the Chamber had concluded arrangements on behalf of six applicants for the erection of a similar number of dwellings, and, after purchasing suitable land, the Department, in May of last year, had invited tenders for the work. It was understood that favourable tenders were received, and everything was ready for the work to proceed. Just at that time, however, before materials were on the ground, the “ railway cut ” took place, so that the contractor was delayed several weeks. In that period market conditions changed, and he could not proceed with the work, as supplies, besides being lTiore costly, were not available. Therefore the six dwellings were not built, and it was now hoped to find some arrangement by which the work could proceed. The Chamber had been in frequent communication with the Housing Department, but, in the knowledge that building conditions had become more difficult, it was thought unwise to press too strongly for departmental action in respect to the six dwellings Which had been delayed. Last month it was announced that the Department had arranged fresh designs suitable for erection in concrete. These designs had been obtained, and were submitted for the guidance of intending applicants. The Department had given a definite promise that consideration would be given to the erecttion of more than six houses in Te Awamutu on receipt of applications. It would give local builders an opportunity to tender, but if this was unsuccessful it was hoped to be able to arrange with a builder in a large way in one of the chief centres. The Department .had been specially asked whether it would be prepared to consider the erection of dwellings on land already owned by an applicant, and although it was first necessary to dispose of the sections owned by the Department it was fairly certain that some of the dwellings would be erected on applicants’ own sections. The aim of the Chamber of Commerce was to set the position before those who were awaiting action in respect to the six delayed dwellings, and to also organise a tfresh number of applicants. The Department had experienced considerable difficulties, and was not responsible for the delay. It had expressed clearly the hope that something would be found possible in the immediate future. If eighteen or twenty dwellings could be arranged for the contract might be worth taking up. The Chamber could merely take the applications, lodge them with the Department, and hope that tenders would be forthcoming to enable, the work to proceed. As to housing generally the chairman referred to the acute demand for houses. In the future the position would be more serious, as new industries were opening on every hand. There was not the least doubt that another hundred houses would be occupied if they were available; more than double that number would be needed within the next year to provide for the workers in the dried milk factory, the electric wiremen, and those in other new industries now being launched. The objective of the Chamber of Commerce was to help meet the position, and in this it had every reason to believe that the Housing Department was equally ready to proceed with the Te Awamutu applications if at all possible. At the present moment the outlook was desperate for workers, as houses were being purchased on every hand and tenants were being called on to vacate. This state of affairs would become more serious in the future.

The secretary of the Chamber explained what had been done in respect to past applications. The Department had conferred with the applicants in regard to the selection of sites, and the Department’s architect had consulted them as to .the plans of the dwellings before the work proceeded.

The Mayor (Mr L. G. Armstrong) explained the negotiations in regard to the municipal housing scheme. The present proposals would help forward the Council’s plans in that a larger scheme of works would help to overcome some of the problems. Every dwelling was needed, and he agreed with the chairman that without a public effort to overcome the housing difficulty in Te Awamutu a serious position would arise for the workers within the next year, as there wae going to.'be a large influx of people to the town.

The meeting generally discussed the question, and the hope was expressed that the Department would be successful in negotiating with the builders for the erection of dwellings. It was left with the secretary of the Chamber of Commerce to have the applications completed, and the forms will therefore be available for signature by applicants for a few days, after which they will go forward to the Housing Department.